For several years we have been supporting a local women’s refuge by providing welcome packs twice a year, and by maintaining their garden. We continue to do this, including throughout Covid. The welcome packs consist of essentials that the women and their children need when they flee domestic violence , often leaving everything behind and therefore arriving without even the basic essentials such as soap or a hairbrush. Thanks to linking up with a local Co-Op Member Pioneer who we met at a summer fete last year, we will be able to provide some additional items to the refuge that will help the women and children while they are living there or even provide them with some items that will help them when they are able to leave and set up a new home. Thanks to the very kind donations from people shopping at the

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Break the Bias”. As Soroptimists we work to end gender equality. Here in Derby we also support “Women’s Day Derby” who have put on a range of activities to celebrate International Women’s Day. They have created some huge puppets of inspirational women and will be parading through Derby with them. We will have a table where we can meet potential new members and tell everyone about our club. If you’re local, pop in and see us in Derby Museum on the Wardwick, between 12.30 and 16.30 Saturday 5th March – we’d love to see you!

Our President, Jill, decided to join in with a national fundraiser in support of the charity Refuge. Information about this charity can be found on their website; www.refuge.org.uk How will walking 56 miles and raising money impact Refuge? More than 1 in 4 women (27.6%) in England and Wales aged 16-74 have experienced domestic abuse at some point of their lives. In 2020-21, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline calls and contacts were up by 64%. This has not decreased. Every £185 raised could help fund the running of the Helpline for an hour, providing lifesaving information for women who wish to flee. Jill is thrilled to announce that she was able to raise £195 and even walked a few extra miles – totalling 60 in all! Supporting this charity fits in well with the ethos of Soroptimism and with the work we do on a

Extra proud to be a Soroptimist today ! Some of our club attended a special training session so that we can continue the fantastic work started by Soroptimists from Northern England in 2017. Club members assisted the then Police and Crimes Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, who also just happens to be a Soroptimist, by observing court sessions for domestic abuse cases in order to see if the new measures introduced by the Government were providing adequate assistance to the victims of domestic abuse who attended court. The report from these findings, “Special Domestic Violence Courts – How Special Are They” can be found by following the link below: https://sigbi.org/newcastle-upon-tyne/files/2020/04/OPCC_037_Specialist-domestic-violence-courts-Court-Observers-Panel-A4-booklet-2018-V2209555.pdf Soroptimists in the West Midlands have also now completed further observations and plan to be publishing their report on 8th March 2022, International Women’s Day. Our training today will enable clubs in the Midlands East region, of

W We joined over 120 women marching in Derby on November 27th, protesting about violence against women and promoting safer streets, the first time there has been such a march in the city. It was a bitterly cold night but everyone was very enthusiastic as we gathered to sing and chant, chalked some messages and marched on to the Council House for some speeches. Wonderful to be with so many like minded women working to make a different future for the women in the world! Many thanks To Women’s Day Derby for organising the event so well. #Orange The World! If you want to find out more about us, or to join our club, please contact us at soropsderby@gmail.com. See us on our Facebook page – Soroptimist International of Derby and on our Twitter page @DerbySorops

We have returned to using Twitter to promote our activities and charities – please visit @DerbySorops to keep up to date with us!

We aim to raise enough to purchase a pink Tuk Tuk for the Rosie May Foundation and will be enjoying the company of one of the founders, Mary Storrie, and a new Trustee on November 25th at 7pm. If anyone would like to join us to learn about the charity and why we are supporting it, please contact us at soropsderby@gmail.com. or visit us on Twitter – @DerbySorops or Facebook – Soroptimist International of Derby We will be meeting at The White Hart in Aston-on-Trent.

“Historic” Reclaim The Night March in Derby will demand end to fear and violence against women An “historic” women’s march is to take place through Derby on November 27th calling for an end to “fear and violence”. Hundreds of women are expected to take part in the event, which is said to be the first of it’s kind in Derby. Organisers of the event say the rally will call for a demand to “break the silence” and “end the fear and violence” within society. Several Soroptimists are planning to join this march and offer support to Derby End Violence Against Women and Girls Coalition.

Although the weather was a bit threatening, we managed another successful fund raising session at Normanton Park Fun day. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Rosie the Pink Tuk Tuk was unable to join us, but Mary Storrie from the Rosie May Foundation came along to help us out. Our Tombola proved very popular again, as did our home made jams and chutneys. We had customers even before we had finished setting up! If you would like to join us and help us to improve the lives of women and girls, please contact us via email at: soropsderby@gmail.com. We have a face to face meeting planned for our October meeting, with Mary Storrie coming to speak to us  – more details to follow soon.